Five Week Trip Starting from Utah!!

Hello everybody!
The girlfriend and I are planning a five week trip starting from Salt Lake city as I'm shipping the bike there.The dates are from June 9th to July 18th. We are gona be two up on my GSA. We plan to go to Grand Canyon by Bryce Canyon,then go up towards Vancouver,Canada, and then across Canada back home to the maritimes.The girlfriend plans to go until Alberta Canada,and take the plane home from there.
We don't like to have our trip totaly planned either, so we usauly go with the flow and just have fun, as long as we get back by July 18th.So we'll take every bit of info and chose the one we like best!!We are not city or highway people(4 laners for example) so we are gona avoid them as much as we can.
I hear Death Valley is very warm in June,is it still doable,like early in the morning? Yosemite is another place we're thinking of!
We're thinking of hitting the coast, north of San Francisco all the way up to Vancouver Canada!Might do some detours, like for Crater Lake for example.Once in Canada,we want to go to Vancouver Island then start across!What is the best scenic route through the rockies?
We appreciate every info on campgrounds, lodging and roads that you have !The good ones and the ones to avoid!!!Some guys gived us some realy good info already on this forum with their welcoming! Thanks Guys!!
Thanks to everyone in advance,from both of us!!
Art and Joline.

Check out the book "These are a few of my favorite roads" by Max Burns. Long time Canadian m/c writer that connected his favorite roads for a cross-Canada ride. I followed his route from Toronto to BC last summer, and it was great. Hoping to do the eastern part next year. I have the route that I did in .gpx format, so PM me if you would like it. Trip sounds awesome. Enjoy!

Jim

jgsmith said:

Check out the book "These are a few of my favorite roads" by Max Burns. Long time Canadian m/c writer that connected his favorite roads for a cross-Canada ride. I followed his route from Toronto to BC last summer, and it was great. Hoping to do the eastern part next year. I have the route that I did in .gpx format, so PM me if you would like it. Trip sounds awesome. Enjoy!

Jim

Click to expand...

Thanks Jim, I checked it out on the web,looks very interesting with alot of info,gona go see if I can buy it somewhere!

Don't forget rt 36 in Northern California. Google it it's 140 miles of what is considered one of the great rides in all of California from I-5 to the coastal 101. Did it last year on my trip out west. A must ride ! Also Bear Tooth pass out of the north of Yellowstone has to be on the list if it's open at that time of year.

Rockies routes

Looking at a map of B.C. will show three seperate routes, each has pros & cons, Hope B.C. is where you decide. Hwy 3 east has lots of traffic heading for the vacation areas of the Okanagan, once past it the roads are fun, much less traffic, several high passes, at Yahk go north to Nelson and ride along Kootenay Lake. The ride from Riondel to Creston is rated the best riding road in B.C. Or at Hope take the old TCH 1 north thru the canyon and then east to Kamloops. You can continue east thru the Rogers Pass & the mountains are truly spectacular, I love this route but the mostly two lane Trans Canada is our main east/west route which means lots of heavy truck traffic & in July, hordes of RVs & holidayers. Or Hwy 5 north from Kamploops to Jasper, much less traffic & beautiful vistas but the road has less fun factor as the other routes. However at Jasper, you can ride Hwy 93 south to Banff National Park, it rivals the Alps for beauty. Imho, you won't be disappointed with any of them, hope you have a great time in our Canadian Rockies.

Shipping from the Maritimes eh? We did what you are speaking of twice for the same time period of five weeks. First on a 1973 /5 (12,000 miles in 2001) and second on a '92 K 1100 (11,500 miles in 2007). We are now 62 and 61 ...... it's never too late. Anyway, I only did a Ride Report on the second trip at

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=32509&highlight=tourunigo

if you are interested in some of what we did. First trip had more of the canyon, vegas and beautiful Utah though. Lots to see between here and there. We found that camping was more of a hassle and cost about the same as a modest motel. Also found that we put in long days

Enjoy your ride and it will be nice to see a Ride Report upon your return ...... which will be just in time for the rally in Penn. ..... right. - Bob

Hwy 12, Torrey, UT area
Arches NP
Canyonlands NP
Bryce NP
Cedar Breaks
Zion NP
North Rim of Grand Canyon
Death Valley-NOPE, not this time of year.
Sequoia & Kings NP
Yosemite NP, Hwy 120 over Tioga Pass
Crater Lake
Redwoods

I would call these my must-do's!

Lots of hot weather riding in the Southwest-exercise care.

Sounds like a great trip you're gonna have-Good Luck!

Thanks alot guys! That is alot of grest info!! The girlfriend and I have checked these out,and I think we have a plan!LOL. From Utah,we're gona head towards Arches and Canyonlands NPs. Then backtrack and it route 24 so we can get on12 to go to Bryce.Then to Zion and after that the Grand Canyon.Then we head for the Hoover dam. From here we are still contemplating wich way to go!We are thinking of going toward Sequoia NP,then up to Yosemite.Did the Tioga pass a couple years back, but it was quick and in a car.
I read in magasines and an other forum that Death Valley is doable in early morning up until 11AM.I know, I'm being stubburn about this route but for some reason something is telling me to go that way for a reason. I have gone through there a couple years back very quickly,again in a car. There seems to be some roadsBetween Death Valley And sequoia that would be fun!
Bob, I appolagise for my ignorance but tell me more about the Rally in Penn!!

Quanto12 said:

Bob, I appolagise for my ignorance but tell me more about the Rally in Penn!!

Click to expand...

http://www.bmwmoa.org/rally11

widebmw said:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/rally11

Click to expand...

And now you know the rest of the story! Wouldn't that be a great way to cap off a great trip? - Bob

Ahhhh maann! Now I want to go there!! But I'll have to decline for this year, I had to reserved this vacation a year an half ago to make sure I'd get the 5 weeks.And for me to get extra days is nearly impossible! I will certainly keep an eye open for the 40th Annual one for sure and maybe plan my vacation around it!Is the reunion always around the same date every year?